Protesters 'appalled' at St. Augustinians' support for Romney

Bernadette Reeves was perhaps the most vocal member of the group opposing Romney, shouting "Four more years!" at regular intervals. While it wasn't clear just how many of the thousands of people lined up on the north side of King Street hoping to catch Romney's appearance were supporters, they seemed to be in the majority. Photos by RENEE UNSWORTH

While thousands waited in a line that stretched more than a mile down King and Riberia streets for a chance to see Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in downtown St. Augustine on Monday morning, a small but vocal group of protesters waved at passing cars while holding up signs with messages ranging from "Women for Obama" to "Keep your Mitts off my birth control."

Romney made a stop in St. Augustine at Flagler College as part of the first-leg of a bus tour through Florida. The event, which attracted a huge but mostly relaxed crowd, began at 8 a.m. on the college’s West Lawn on Sevilla Street.

"I'm appalled that so many people in a city as vibrant and creative as St. Augustine are here in support of a man like Mitt Romney," said Karen Neff, a former St. Augustine resident who currently lives in Austin, Texas. "I came out here today to support our president, and I'm stunned at the size of this crowd."

Neff said she was in town visiting friends and family, and heard about Romney's visit from Olivia Kropf, a Democratic Party organizer in Clay County.

Annette Cappella, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of St. Johns County, said she was there strictly as a private citizen. She held a sign that said "Hands off my Medicaire."

"I'm here in support of seniors, and other issues," said Cappella, 78. "I'm a proponent of affordable health care, and I'm proud to call it Obamacare."

Cappella said a Romney/Ryan victory in November would "take the country back to the 1890s, the era of the robber barons."

Bernadette Reeves was perhaps the most vocal member of the group opposing Romney, shouting "Four more years!" at regular intervals. While it wasn't clear just how many of the thousands of people lined up on the north side of King Street hoping to catch Romney's appearance were supporters, they seemed to be in the majority.

Some, like Army veteran Conrad Matt, said they didn't like either Obama or Romney. Matt held two signs, the larger of which read "Tax shelters for the middle class."

"I just want to participate in the political process," Matt said. "I'm a registered Republican, but I'm disgusted at the choices we have in this election."

For the most part, the scene on the street was without incident, but occasionally, a passing driver would yell something at the protesters.

"Get a job," someone yelled.

"We have jobs, we're exercising our rights to protest," said Mark MacIntosh, a computer programmer who drove up from Daytona Beach for the event. "I took a vacation day just for this."

John Garrett, a college student from New York, was about halfway down King Street in line. He said he looked forward to "getting Obama out of the White House."

"I think he's done a horrible job, just horrible," Garrett said. "As a free thinking American, I am here to support Mitt Romney and his plan to get this country back on track."

Perhaps the most jeering occurred when the St. Augustine Tea Party showed up, dressed in tri-corn hats and 18th century attire.

"We're here to encourage the voters to call Obama out for the communist that he is," said party Tea Party chairman Dave Heimbold. "We just want the public to be aware of our standpoint."

Cami McCall, a 19-year-old Flagler College student, who held a sign saying "Queer Liberation Now," said he didn't really support either candidate, but wanted to represent workers' rights, for "people of color and gays."

Ed Slavin, a local political activist, said it was "time to stop selling the country out to billionaires."

"The greatest celebration of human greed is about to take place in Tampa (the 2012 Republican National Convention)," Slavin said. "We're here to counter that, and to protect the middle class."

Romney’s Florida stop is part of a four-day bus tour, said campaign worker Jeff Bechdel. That tour starts in Virginia on Saturday, and then heads to North Carolina on Sunday, Florida on Monday and Ohio on Tuesday.

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for
following agreed-upon rules of civility. Posts and
comments do not reflect the views of this site. Posts and comments are
automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some
comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules,
click the "Flag as offensive" link below the comment.

what you mean by the term 'ignorantly gullible' but I would say the Romney supporters fall into that category more than the protestors. Romney is not 'for the people' and is not going to make any more difference than Obama has. I wonder when people are going to wake up and see that politicians don't care and will not really help America or be able to fix our problems. Cutting Medicare or other programs will only put more people in the homeless category and doing away with birth control for a certain population will make things worse. A rich man who has never gone hungry will not make a good leader for this country.

"We're here to encourage the voters to call Obama out for the communist that he is," said party Tea Party chairman Dave Heimbold. "We just want the public to be aware of our standpoint."

I would like Dave Heimbold to point out the ways in which Obama is a communist. You can't accuse someone of being something they're not unless you are prepared to show proof. That is a bold (inaccurate) statement, I suggest you start speaking with fact rather than rhetoric.